Animal fiber for felting and process of preparing the same.



MICHAEL EMME'I. RYAN, OF FALL RIVER, MASSACHUSETTS.

FIBER FOB FELTING AND PROCESS OF PREPARING- THE SAME.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed January 8, 1910. S'erlal No. 538,687..

Patented Sept. 20, 1910.

97 0,7 56. Ko mawing.

To all it may concern- Be it known that I, MICHAEL Emma'r RYAN, a citizen of the United States, residthe second involves ing at Fall River, county of Bristol, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Animal Fibers for Feltin and Processes of Preparing the Same, of w ich the following is a s clfication. v

This invention relates to the production of fibers and particularly to the preparation of those fibers for felting.

In the finer grades of felt, such as is used for the production of hats, much difliculty has been experienced in securing fibers of. proper strength, brillian'cy and quality, arid especially without an undue waste and eccessive cost. Commercial fibers for felt are secured, from the pelts of various animals, perhaps mostcommonly from the pelts of ares or rabbits. In the treatment of these commercial pelts to secure a proper felting fiber two principal difliculties arise. The first of. these has to do with the varied nature of the hirsute growth of the pelt and ment necessary to make a fiber feltable or to give it the felting property. In connection with the first difiiculty it is tobe'borne in mind that the pelts contain substantially two distinct growths,first the soft, underlying fibers whlch form the principal covering of the animal, and secondly what are known as the master hairs which usually extend above the fibers so as to overlie them and in some instances appear to be the principal part of the fur. The fibers and the master airs differ greatly'inconstruction, growth and in their value for felt. The hair fiber consists of three distinct portions, namely: a central medulla or marrow, a layer of cellular fibrous substance or cortical tissue' outside of this marrow, and an outward layer or epidermis of horn tissue consisting of flattened scales. The central medulla consists of cells arranged side by side, and the intervenin s aces between these cells are probably fi led with air. Thus this central portion is orous in structure, so that solutions may e sucked up by capillary action therein.

The felting of the fibers heretofore suggested involves a consideration of the external construction of the fiber. The felting properties of fibers de ndl upon the con- 1 struction of the externa cuticle of the fiber e peculiarity of treat which is composed of very fine overlapping scales. These scales are covered with a thin coating of a fatty nature which has to be removed before the scales are sufficiently exposed for themto have an interlocking effect with the scales of other fibers. In order to remove theexternal coating of fat the fibers are subjected to an active agency, either acid or alkaline which will-destroy the fatty coating. Nitrate of mercury has usually been employed in this step as the mercury basis seems to be particularly eflicient. in producing a strong felting quality. The nitrate of mercury is, however, a powerful chemical as it necessarily must be in order to remove the fatty coating and penetrate the scaly construction of the outside of the fiber. When the fibers are 'cut or pulled from the felt before they are subjected to the action of the nitrate of mercury solution, the porous structure of the central medulla or marrow allows the carrotin solution to be sucked up into the fiber, w ich' results in injury to or destruction of the internal cells .of the hair. This causes the fibers to lose their life and brilliancy and value. 'This has led to the usual practice of carrotin the skin in order to avoid the liability of fiber destruction on account of the exposure of ends which results when the fibers are cut fromthe skin. The ractieewas, therefore,

the fibers on to lay a pelt on a ta e, fur side up, and rub I in a water solution of nitrate of mercurv until the fibers were all properl treated. After this the fibers were remove by some mechanical process, as by the cutting of the skin in some sort of a machine, or the plucking or the ullin of the fibers by some conor er, therefore, to. avoid the waste of clipping, pulling or shearing, or other mechanical operations, I have devised my present invention in which I have provided for taking care of the differences in the nature of the fibers so asto eliminate the master hair as a factor and at the same time to secure the desirable fibers in a free conditrivanoe.

tion and, moreover, in a condition in which they may be safely exposed to a carroting treatment without dan quality. v

I have discoveredthat by treating a pelt, such as the usual pelt of commerce, with acid, that by a proper roportion of the acid stren h and time em og'ed it is ssible to whol y dissolve the es y materlal of'the r of their destruc-. tion or even without r19 7 of impairing their the flesh of the hide has been Whol skin, to carbonize and substantially destroy the master hairs and still leave in a free and unimpaired condition the fiber desired. This is apparently accomplished through the acquisition by the solvent of certain fatty on glutinous matter from the skin. The solvent is usually an acid and I find that sulfuric acid is a very satisfactory solvent for the purpose.

In practice I prepare a solution of dilute sulfuric acid in which I immerse the skins or the portions of the skins having the fibers and master hairs thereon. In this treatmentthe inner or flesh side of the skin being'most exposed is first attackedv and the gluey or fatty substances of the skin are released As the acid penetrates through the lower side of carrying in solution f amount of fatty matter and it is,

the skin it first reaches the roots of the master hairs which are bedded deepest: The acid, therefore, gains access to the roots of the master hairs at a comparatively early period of the treatment. By the time the acid has reached the roots-of the fibers'the flesh of the hide is quite thoroughly decomposed. By this time, moreover, the acid is a. very considerable therefore,

possible to so time these activities as to rescuethe fiber before it has suffered any internal attack at all. and before any appreciable change has taken place externall As y de- 1 stroyedand as the master hairs only appear in. the solution as minute carbonized material the fibers maybe readily strained out and prepared for carroting. The carroting is accomplished by soaking the fibers in a solution of nitrate of mercury. When prepared in the manner described, no unfavorable efi'ects on the structure of the fibers is noted at all and apparently the nitrate of mercury has been unable to penetrate the interior of the fibers but merely cuts the external film and gains access to the scaly structure of the outside.

It will, thus be seen am able to secure fibers of full length and of great strength as they have been preserved that by my process 7 against internal attack. At the same time they have been externally treated by the most approved carroting methods and are hence in satisfactory condition for felting ment and agencies employed might be made,

all without departing from the spirit of my mvention.

What I therefore claim and desire to se-- cure by Letters Patent is 1. The process of preparing animal fibers for felting which consists in attacking a fiber bearing skin with an acid solution until the master hairs are carbonized and the skin has been dissolved and in carroting the resultant fiber.

2. The for felting which consists in attacking the flesh side of a fiber bearing skin by soaking the skin and fiber in acid solution until the master hairs are carbonized and the skin has been dissolved, and .in collecting the resultant fibers. s

3. As an article of manufacture, animal fibers for felting obtained entire from skins comprising cuticle, master hairs and fibers, from which the master hairs and whole have sort of fur process of preparing animal fibers been eliminated by destruction with an acid. a

4. As an article of manufacture, carroted animal fibers for felting obtained entire from skins comprising cuticle, master hairs, and fibers from which the master hairs and cuticle have been eliminated by destruction with an acid.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature in presence Of tWO witnesses.

MICHAEL EMMET RYAN:

Witnesses:

THQMAS F. HIGGINS, EDWARD F. HANIFY. 

